Overview

• The Department for Education has issued development grants to local authorities to identify sites and recruit staff so Best Start Family Hubs can begin operating from April 2026.
• Fifteen London boroughs will share £2.3 million to establish hubs, with specified allocations for areas including Bromley, Ealing, Sutton and Hillingdon.
• Newly disclosed awards include £145,500 for Swindon and £137,362 for Stockton, alongside South West allocations such as Wiltshire £194,600, Gloucestershire £221,000 and Bath & North East Somerset £135,000.
• The hubs will function as one‑stop centres offering stay‑and‑play sessions, parenting courses, health advice, behaviour support and specialist help for children with additional needs.
• Ministers say the centres will cut through unreliable online guidance and boost school readiness, though some councils have reduced children’s centres, including closures in Ealing earlier this year.